I think with all the commemorations regarding the centenary of the commencement of WW1 that Christmas has just crept up behind us and surprised us!

It is still only mid-November and we have finished the Remembrance Services for this year.   It is a difficult time as we remember loved ones who are no longer with us.  We don’t really feel like joining in all the hype and manic busyness that seems to precede Christmas these days.  Many people are time starved, me included, as we seem to have more to do than time allows.  Fire-fighting is a way of life more than it ever used to be!  Christmas means stepping even harder on the accelerator.

God though wants us to enjoy our lives.  There are instructions right at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis to take one rest day per week to renew our batteries!  But so much has now crept into Sunday that it has become yet another action packed day – little different from any other.  However, it doesn’t have to be Sunday that we rest, but we should rest on one day each week regularly!

It is only by switching off and relaxing that we can hear wisdom!  It is in stopping and noticing those around us, reflecting on what Christmas is really about that we start to feel the Christmas spirit.  It is about showing that we value each other for who we are deep within ourselves.  How can we do this with integrity if we are too busy to notice the little things about each other most of the time?  A small gift that shows we know someone really well is worth a thousand words.  Take time out this year to reflect before stepping on the accelerator again.  Take time to remember that Jesus brought wisdom into the world and that when we are rushing around we tend not to see God among us, and we don’t get the most enjoyment out of life.

Take time and look out for God this Christmas.  You will meet him – and your Christmas will be transformed!

With every blessing for a transforming Christmas Season.
Ann